2014 Pacific hurricane season (Sassmaster15's version)
The 2014 Pacific hurricane season was an exceptionally active year of tropical cyclone formation in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. With 22 named storms developing, the season is regarded as the fourth-busiest Pacific hurricane season on record since reliable record-keeping began in 1949. However, despite the number of storms forming, only 11 attained hurricane status with another five attaining major hurricane status. The dates that typically delimit tropical cyclone formation in the East Pacific are from May 15 to November 30, while in the Central Pacific tropical cyclone formation usually occurs from June 1 to November 30. However, tropical cyclone formation is possible any time of the year. Due to the likelihood of an El Niño developing in the latter half of the season, most forecasting agencies predicted a very active, even hyperactive, season. The season did start off in an active manner, with four tropical cyclones forming prior to July, and the season remained this way till the end of October, when activity ceased and the season went dormant for the remainder of the year. The extremely high number of storms was the highest total in 22 years. In addition, a further eleven attained hurricane status, while another five went on to become a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher according to the Saffir-simpson scale). The season also broke some records and several storms were notable. In August, Hurricane Iselle was the strongest tropical cyclone on record to strike the Big Island of Hawaii, while Hurricane Marie nearly became the first Category 5 hurricane in the basin since 2010, though was later downgraded in post-season analysis. In addition, Hurricane Odile, the strongest storm of the season, was the strongest and most destructive hurricane ever to strike Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Another record broken by Odile was for having the lowest pressure ever measured for a Category 4 hurricane in the basin, with reconnaissance aircraft reporting a minimum pressure of 916 millibars. Seasonal Outlook On March 12, 2014, the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) issued its first outlook for the Pacific hurricane season, expecting a total of fifteen named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. A month later, the agency revised their outlook to fourteen named storms, seven hurricanes, and five major hurricanes, citing the anticipated development of El Niño for above-average activity, compared to the 1949-2013 average of 13.2. On May 22, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) announced its prediction of 14 to 20 named storms, seven to eleven hurricanes, three to six major hurricanes, and an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) within 95-160% of the median. It also called for a 50% chance of an above-normal season, a 40% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. Similar to the SMN outlook, the basis for the forecast was the expectation of below average wind shear and above average sea surface temperatures, both factors associated with El Niño conditions. The CPC also noted that the Eastern Pacific was in a lull that first began in 1995; however, they expected that this would be offset by the aforementioned favorable conditions. Within the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)'s jurisdiction, four to seven tropical cyclones were expected to form, slightly above the average of four to five tropical cyclones. Taken from Wikipedia Overview Storms Storm Names Season Effects